Worse than Death
by Yumiko Kaze
Summary: Immediatly after Ozai's defeat, Azula's powers are bound as well. Zuko feels a little torn knowing that he's sentenced his sister to a fate she will not be able to deal with.


Worse than Death

Yumiko Kaze

Zuko had never really wanted to destroy his sister.

However, any other option was clearly out of the question. He was going to do it.

Azula lay on her side, tears staining her cheeks and her hair tangled, hands bound behind her and chained to the grate in the ground. Katara's doing. Zuko had to admit that he had been thoroughly impressed with the water tribe girl's victory against his sister. Something he had never been able to accomplish.

Obviously, Azula had suffered some form of mental breakdown. The way she was lying there on the ground now, broken and spent from her hours of fighting to get free, left no doubt in his mind. Was it something that she could recover from he wondered. Or would Azula always be this lifeless, wild eyed monster that needed someone to care for her day in and day out? Or perhaps she was merely pretending. Any moment now she would turn and shoot some of her blue fire at him. After all; Azula always lied.

Zuko cleared his throat to speak and Aang and Katara glanced at him. "I think we should do it now. Before she knows what's going on."

Aang gave Zuko a dirty look, "You mean I should do it."

Zuko looked away. Aang was right. "I'm sorry. You're right. You're the one who has to do it, but I feel like I should take some of the blame. She's my sister."

Katara stepped in, laying a hand encouragingly on Aang's shoulder, "I know it's hard Aang. But there's really no other choice."

Zuko had asked Aang to bind Azula's bending powers.

Aang nodded, "I know it's the same thing I did to Ozai, but he was threatening me and everyone else at the time." He watched Azula carefully. Azula didn't move. Her chest just rose and fell gently with each breath. "She just looks helpless right now."

"Right now," Zuko agreed, "But once she regains her strength she is going to have to be watched every minute for the rest of her life. We can't trust her. She's too powerful."

Aang nodded. She was too powerful. Not to mention crazy. He wouldn't be surprised if she attacked the people bringing her food. They would have to bind her hands, her feet, even her mouth in order to keep her from hurting people. How would she survive? She wouldn't even be able to go to the bathroom by herself.

When he glanced at Zuko he could see the same thoughts going through the prince's head. Zuko looked pained at the idea of anyone, much less someone as independent as his sister being assisted with every aspect of their life. Aang slumped, "Binding her power is the only way to make sure she can have a normal life. As normal as it can be."

Though truthfully, a life in prison wouldn't be much of a life at all. However, Zuko wasn't sure if his sister would be in a state of mind to even notice it.

Aang sighed, but it was one of resignation. As a bender, Aang knew what it would do to Azula to take her bending away. She was a fire bending prodigy. Bending was something that was as much a part of her life as breathing. To take her bending away would literally destroy the Fire Nation Princess.

But Aang knew he had to do it.

Carefully, afraid Azula would lash out at any moment, Aang bent over her and placed one hand on her crown chakra and the other on her fire chakra. Easily now, he entered the spirit state and, as the Guru had told him to open his own Chakra's, he closed Azula's. It only took a few seconds; Azula did not fight him as her father had. She was not in the midst of battle and her chakras were not flooded with power as her fathers had been.

Aang searched around for Azula's mind. In his connection to Ozai, Aang had been able to see clearly into the mind of a killer. However, Azula's mind seemed to be strangely empty.

"It's done." Aang said, standing and wiping his hands on his pants as though he had just done something dirty. "She'll never bend again."

Zuko let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was for the best. It really was, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had betrayed his sister in the worst way possible. She had hunted him, tried to kill him, tried to kill his friends, but she was still his sister.

And he had just destroyed her.


End file.
